Method and Apparatus for Supporting Call Admission Control Using Graph Assembly and Fate-Share Identifiers

1. A method comprising: obtaining a potential bandwidth deduction on a communications interface at a call agent, wherein the call agent is a Unified Communications Manager (UCM), and wherein the call agent includes a processor and the communications interface enables the call agent to communicate on a network, the call agent being associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared between the call agent and other call agents on the network, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction includes identifying an originator of the session, identifying a terminator of the session, determining when the originator and the terminator are both Internet Protocol (IP) trunks, and determining whether the IP trunks are configured for call signaling information to pass through when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are both IP trunks, wherein when it is determined that the IP trunks are configured for the call signaling information to pass through, the potential bandwidth deduction is determined to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction, and wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for; deducting the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the call agent; and ignoring the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is determined not to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are not both the IP trunks.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the UCM has a back-to-back-user-agent (B2BUA), and wherein determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction further includes: determining if a first fate-share ID associated with the session is the same as a second fate-share ID of a previous bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction if the first fate-share ID is the same as the second fate-share ID, and wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction if the first fate-share ID is not the same as the second fate-share ID.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the call agent is one of a plurality of call agents included in the network and the CAC arrangement includes a Location Bandwidth Manager (LBM) that allows the bandwidth to be shared by the plurality of call agents, and wherein the bandwidth bucket is associated with the bandwidth shared by the plurality of call agents.

4. A method comprising: obtaining a potential bandwidth deduction on a communications interface at a call agent, wherein the call agent is a Unified Communications Manager (UCM), and wherein the call agent includes a processor and the communications interface enables the call agent to communicate on a network, the call agent being associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared between the call agent and other call agents on the network, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction includes identifying an originator of the session, identifying a terminator of the session, determining when the originator and the terminator are both Internet Protocol (IP) trunks, and determining whether the IP trunks are configured for call signaling information to pass through when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are both IP trunks, wherein when it is determined that the IP trunks are configured for the call signaling information to pass through, the potential bandwidth deduction is determined to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction, and wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for; deducting the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the call agent; and ignoring the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is determined not to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the IP trunks are not configured for the call signaling information to pass through.

5. A method comprising: obtaining a potential bandwidth deduction on a communications interface at a first call agent, wherein the first call agent includes a processor and the communications interface enables the first call agent to communicate on a replication network, the first call agent being associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determining whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for; deducting the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the first call agent; ignoring the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction; and assembling a local model of the network, wherein assembling the local model of the network includes communicating a first local view of the network, the first local view of the network being a view associated with the first call agent, and obtaining at least a second local view of the network, the at least second local view of the network being obtained from a second call agent included in the replication network, the second local view of the network being a view associated with the second call agent, wherein assembling the local model of the network further includes determining when the local model includes duplicate edges, and reconciling the duplicate edges when it is determined that the local model includes the duplicate edges, wherein reconciling the duplicate edges includes selecting a value for the bandwidth bucket from values associated with the duplicate edges.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the duplicate edges include a first edge and a second edge, the first edge connecting a first node and a second node of the network, the second edge connecting the first node and the second node, and wherein selecting the value for the bandwidth bucket includes choosing the smallest value associated with the duplicate edges.

7. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed by a processor, configured to: obtain a potential bandwidth deduction at a call agent, the call agent being a Unified Communications Manager (UCM) and associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for, and wherein the computer program code configured to determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction is further configured to identify an originator of the session, identify a terminator of the session, determine when the originator and the terminator are both Internet Protocol (IP) trunks, and determine whether the IP trunks are configured for call signaling information to pass through when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are both IP trunks, wherein when it is determined that the IP trunks are configured for the call signaling information to pass through, the potential bandwidth deduction is determined to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction; deduct the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the call agent; and ignore the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is determined not to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are not both the IP trunks.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the UCM has a back-to-back-user-agent (B2BUA), and wherein the computer program code configured to determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction is further configured to: determine if a first fate-share ID associated with the session is approximately the same as a second fate-share ID of a previous bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction if the first fate-share ID is approximately the same as the second fate-share ID, and wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction if the first fate-share ID is not approximately the same as the second fate-share ID.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed by a processor, configured to: obtain a potential bandwidth deduction at a call agent, the call agent being a Unified Communications Manager (UCM) and associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for, and wherein the computer program code configured to determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction is further configured to identify an originator of the session, identify a terminator of the session, determine when the originator and the terminator are both Internet Protocol (IP) trunks, and determine whether the IP trunks are configured for call signaling information to pass through when it is determined that the originator and the terminator are both IP trunks, wherein when it is determined that the IP trunks are configured for the call signaling information to pass through, the potential bandwidth deduction is determined to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction; deduct the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the call agent; and ignore the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the potential bandwidth deduction is determined not to be the duplicate bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the IP trunks are not configured for the call signaling information to pass through.

10. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed by a processor, configured to: obtain a potential bandwidth deduction at a first call agent included in a replication network, the first call agent being associated with an intercluster call admission control (CAC) arrangement in which bandwidth is shared, the potential bandwidth deduction being associated with a session; determine whether the potential bandwidth deduction is a duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction, the indication is that the potential bandwidth deduction has already been accounted for; deduct the potential bandwidth deduction from a bandwidth bucket when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is not the duplicate bandwidth deduction, wherein the bandwidth bucket is locally associated with the first call agent; ignore the potential bandwidth deduction when it is determined that the potential bandwidth deduction is the duplicate bandwidth deduction; and assemble a local model of the network, wherein the computer program code configured to assemble the local model of the network is further configured to communicate a first local view of the network, the first local view of the network being a view associated with the first call agent, and wherein the computer program code configured to obtain at least a second local view of the network, the at least second local view of the network being obtained from a second call agent included in the replication network, the second local view of the network being a view associated with the second call agent, wherein the computer program code configured to assemble the local model of the network is further configured to determine when the local model includes duplicate edges, and reconcile the duplicate edges when it is determined that the local model includes the duplicate edges, wherein the computer program code configured to reconcile the duplicate edges is further configured to select a value for the bandwidth bucket from values associated with the duplicate edges.